Grammy nominated singer, songwriter, and pianist Regina Spektor is an indie-pop icon with two albums that debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 chart. The Russian-born American musician tells David how difficult it was to leave behind her beloved childhood piano when her family immigrated to America, how she found her first piano teacher in the United States through a chance encounter between her father and a stranger on a train, and why she practiced on an imaginary piano. Regina reminisces about a trip to Israel when she was sixteen that sparked her career as a songwriter, reflects on a Carnegie Hall performance following her father's death, and reveals what she loves most about The Metropolitan Opera. To close it out, David and Regina compare notes about meeting celebrated soprano Renée Fleming!

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Photograph of Regina by Shervin Lainez.

The Speaking Soundly theme song is composed by Joseph Saba/Stewart Winter and used by permission of Videohelper.

Speaking Soundly was co-created by David Krauss and Jessica Handelman. 

This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format.

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